KINGSTON, Jamaica - Another Vigorous, got it right this time around while running on to score an easy and reassuring win (Friday, August 30) over the minimum trip on the round course, to satisfy trainer Rohan Mathie immensely that the four-year-old gelded son of Legal Process is on course for the up and coming series of top-notch sprint races.
Number one on the list of priorities for the connections of Another Vigorous is the Caribbean Sprint Championship run over six furlongs on Superstakes Day, which this year is scheduled for Saturday, October 5.
The Legal Process speedster who looked razor-sharp in the Parade Ring coming into his last Friday engagement justified his 3-5 odds on favouritism to win convincingly over 5 furlongs (1000 metres) round in a time of 1:00.2 seconds. The recorded splits were 22.4 x 46.0.
In the process of winning, Another Vigorous upstaged his last conqueror Zephyr, who finished fourth while Exhilarate, who was a fast winner on the straight five course when last at the races on July 19 finished second with another straight specialist K D Flyer surprising with an eye-opening third-place finish in the Open Allowance, three-year-olds and upwards call which carried a total purse of $1,150,000.
“I am pretty pleased with this performance. It is a good preview run for the opening of the sprint season, and I think that he is now poised to go on to better things.
“He is now finally settling down to some organised training and he is responding well. As you saw, he sat off the pace today and came home with the minimum of fuss so, I am pleased with how things are shaping up with him,” Mathie stated with conviction.
Ridden by leading rider Christopher Mamdeen, Another Vigorous sat just off the pace in second position behind the speedy Exhilarate (Anthony Thomas) with Zephyr (Raddesh Roman) settling in third spot as the field motored around the half-mile (800m) turn.
Coming into the lane still looking easy, Another Vigorous drew alongside Exhilarate and when Mamdeen asked for an increased effort, the four-year-old gelding responded quickly and emphatically to win going away.